Wino

I was not saying independent pollsters are not telling the truth. I have not seen or read those polls. When watching O’Rielly on his program, he likes to tout his number one rating. To that claim, I do not know if it is true. I think Fox and other conservative outlets have a large following. To dismiss their viewpoint as gossip-like or not meaningful is a gross underestimate of their influence.

This is an article by Bradley Brooks about a Brazilian driver. Like Mark Twain, I think Mr. Goncalves can comfortably say, “the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.†RIO DE JANEIRO – A Brazilian bricklayer reportedly killed in a car crash shocked his mourning family by showing up alive at his funeral. This is an article by Bradley Brooks about a Brazilian driver. I think Mr. Goncalves can comfortably say, “the reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.†Relatives of Ademir Jorge Goncalves, 59, had identified him as the victim of a Sunday night car crash in Parana state in southern Brazil, police said. As is customary in Brazil, the funeral was held the following day, which happened to be the holiday of Finados, when Brazilians visit cemeteries to honor the dead. What family members didn't know was that Goncalves had spent the night at a truck stop talking with friends over drinks of a sugarcane liquor known as cachaca, his niece Rosa Sampaio told the O Globo newspaper. He did not get word about his own funeral until it was already happening Monday morning. A police spokesman in the town of Santo Antonio da Platina said Goncalves rushed to the funeral to let family members know he was not dead. "The corpse was badly disfigured, but dressed in similar clothing," said the police spokesman, who talked on condition of anonymity as he wasn't authorized to discuss the case. "People are afraid to look for very long when they identify bodies, and I think that is what happened in this case." Sampaio told O Globo that some family members were not sure the body was Goncalves. "My two uncles and I had doubts about the identification," she told O Globo. "But an aunt and four of his friends identified the body, so what were we to do? We went ahead with the funeral." The police spokesman confirmed there were doubts: "His mom looked at the body in the casket and thought something was strange. She looked and looked and couldn't believe it was her son," Sampaio said. "Before long, the walking dead appeared at the funeral. It was a relief." The body was correctly identified later Monday, the police spokesman said, and has already been buried in another state. He declined to release the actual victim's name. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091104/ap_on_fe_st/lt_odd_brazil_dead_man_walking;_ylt=AojYUv_f7o6TlX7NbcQZHoztiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJ2NGtzZ2EwBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMTA0L2x0X29kZF9icmF6aWxfZGVhZF9tYW5fd2Fsa2luZwRjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDZnVsbG5ic3BzdG9y

This is a step towards a better relationship with Myanmar. I hope the talks are productive and the generals loosen their grip on the society. YANGON, Myanmar — The U.S. wants better relations with military-ruled Myanmar if it makes concrete steps toward democracy, a senior American diplomat said Wednesday after holding the highest-level talks with the junta and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 14 years. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said he explained Washington's new policy, which reverses the Bush administration's isolation of Myanmar, also known as Burma, in favor of dialogue with a country that has been ruled by the military since 1962. The goals of the new policy are "strong support for human rights, the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all other political prisoners and the promotion of democratic reform," Campbell said in a statement at the end of his two-day visit. Campbell and his deputy, Scot Marciel, are the highest-level Americans to visit Myanmar since 1995. Read more at: http://www.huffingto...u_n_345059.html

Let's hope it escaped scientists because it was so small. It is scary to think a giant asteroid could hit us and cause a major disaster.

His lawyer said he is mentally ill. The guy would have to be "off his rocker" if he thought this would help his case. Although it seems to me the jury went overboard when the sentence came back at 31 years for a robery case. SAN DIEGO – A man who sneaked a bag of his feces into a San Diego courtroom during his home-invasion robbery trial, smeared it on his lawyer and threw it at jurors has been sentenced to 31 years in prison. Superior Court Judge Frank Brown on Monday sentenced Weusi McGowan for robbery, burglary and two assault charges stemming from the feces-flinging incident during his January trial. McGowan, who attorneys say suffers from mental illness, had asked for a mistrial because he believed jurors had seen him in restraints when he entered the courtroom. Several days after his request was denied, McGowan pulled out a bag of excrement he had hidden in his clothing, rubbed it on his lawyer and tossed it at the jury, hitting one juror's computer case. ___ Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.signonsandiego.com

Does anyone know if it is possible for a Thai to be tested for HIV at no cost? Like public health clinics in the West, I should think there are places that provide this service for free.

Yes, you are right about laws that protect people against themselves and others. The issue some people have is that the government will go too far. Seat belt and helmet laws do help keep insurance claims down. But what about smoking issues and keeping the medical claims down? What about obese people and keeping those same insurance claims down? How much freedom are we willing to give up? How is a society like Thailand able to manage without helmet laws, mandated wheel chair ramps, car seats for babies, etc? I am really surprised that my generation was able to survive without these helpful laws.

Can you imagine going on vacation and joining in on a casino night at your hotel and next thing you know, you are arrested. Here is the story. Pattaya, November 2 [PATTAYA ONE NEWS] : Following a tip-off received by Police, an operation involving three separate Police Divisions took place in the early hours of Monday Morning inside Soi 14 off the Pratamnuk Road at the Encore Bar and Hotel which was thought to be hosting Casino Nights on the second floor of the venue. Police from the Immigration Office, Pattaya Police Station and the National Human Trafficking Crime Suppression Unit from Bangkok were involved in the operation which resulted in the arrest of 8 foreigners and 2 Thai nationals who were suspected of organizing and participating in casino nights. Police stormed the second floor and found a custom-made casino card table and each of the 8 foreigners was in possession of casino chips. Around 120,000 Baht in cash was also found as was boxes of more casino chips and decks of cards. Police took the 5 Finnish, 2 Swedish and 1 Israeli suspected gamblers to the Immigration Office in Jomtien along with the seized items and each of the arrestees was charged with gambling and Khun Pornpansar aged 27 was additionally charged with allowing the Casino to operate in her premise. The case will be heard in court later this week. http://www.pattayaon..._02_11_52.shtml

Let's hope the coming storms do not wreck as much havoc as the last ones. I am not sure how much more misery the people can stand.

I guess ‘radical†and “mainstream†depends on the individual’s perspective. Like the word “terrorist†it depends on your point of view. Just think, George Washington and the founding fathers were classified as terrorists at one time. I am not going to change your view on “outing†people. I feel it is an unscrupulous tactic used to further an agenda. The goal is more or less to catch conservative GOP politicians with their pants down. I understand that some people think this is a war for human rights, and all is fair in love and war, but I do not like this type of divisive political approach. That is the trouble with politics, the republicans and democrats are too busy fighting each other instead of doing what is best for the people and the nation. You believe in what some call the “Barney Frank Rule,†where outing is acceptable when a person uses their power to hurt gay people. Sounds more like the Steve Gobie rule. In an interview, Gobie said he wants "to show up people in positions of power who abuse other people." Gobie expressed no regret for any damage done to the career of Frank. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/tours/scandal/gobie2.htm The damage outing does to a person is the concern that I have. The person’s career and family life could be left in shambles and sometimes without any hint of truth to the allegation. This does not seem right to me. With the recent defeat in Maine to the gay marriage issue, this tells me America is not ready for this type of marriage. Gay marriage has now lost in all 31 states in which it has been put to a popular vote. Instead of using the term gay marriage, why not push for civil partnership. I should think this term would be more acceptable to more people and essentially has the same outcome.

Here is a picture and article about the winner. "Japan's Ai Haruna beat out 24 contestants from several nations competing for the coveted 2009 Miss International Queen title. The host Thais had to settle for homegirl Kangsadal Wongdusadeekul being the first runner up. Brazil's Daniela Marques was second runner up." http://transgriot.bl...ernational.html

As can be seen from the article below, looks as if Thailand is not the only place that has problem with less than honest ladyboys. Here is a report about a trail in China. SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Five Filipino transvestites have gone on trial in Shanghai, accused of drugging men with adulterated foods before robbing them in a city with a reputation for an adventurous nightlife. Prosecutors told a Shanghai court on Tuesday the five men "dressed as women and, after leading the victims into taxis or hotel rooms, induced them to eat chocolate and other foods laced with sleeping drugs," the Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. The men then robbed their victims, taking mobile phones, credit cards, and a Rolex watch. They then uses the cards to buy perfume and gold, the prosecutors said. The five men aged from 26 to 30 were accused of committing the crimes three times from late last year to February, and were detained by police in March. Local newspaper reports said the goods stolen were worth 340,000 yuan ($49,780). The men pleaded guilty to the charges, and "expressed remorse for the victims, the Chinese government, their own country and their families," added the Legal Daily. The court will give a verdict at a later date, the news reports said. http://news.yahoo.co...s_transvestites

With the close governor's race in New Jersey, congressional race in Virginia and others, we will see if the voter will go with Obama's agenda or turn back to the republican side. Obama has been campaigning for his preferred candidates and so it should be interesting. Some republicans are worried that conservatives like Beck and Limbaugh are hurting the republican’s chances. Here is a quote and an interesting article. What do you think will happen on Tuesday? The chairman of the House Republican Conference says it’s “hogwash†that GOP leaders are worried about what Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and the Tea Party movement are doing to their party’s image. In a story headlined “Conservatives Roar; Republicans Tremble,†POLITICO reported Thursday that “many top Republicans are growing worried that the party’s chances for reversing its electoral routs of 2006 and 2008 are being wounded by the flamboyant rhetoric and angry tone of conservative activists and media personalities.†http://www.politico....009/28608.html#

There are so many things wrong here. With unemployment so high, you would think the US would be able to retrain and hire qualified teachers here in the US. School districts should have provided some help for these foreign teachers. I would have thought a fellow teacher or friend would have stepped up. Not sure what woman should be behind bars. Looks to me that PARS International Placement Agency, and its sister company, Los Angeles-based Universal Placement International Inc. should be called out on their fee structure, if indeed it can be shown the 300 teachers paid millions of dollars for a $16,000 a year job.

This article by Edna Brady might be good news to you Boyzone fans. "The remaining four members of Boyzone have told Sky News they will release a new album featuring Stephen Gately as a tribute to the singer." http://news.sky.com/...Out_For_Funeral

It was a tasteless joke. Here are a few tasteless anti-racists jokes that you might find funny. An apartment of 3 floors lives 3 families, A White family, a Black family and a Racist family. At 2pm on a normal working day, a fire breaks out and burns the building to the ground, which family dies? The Racist family, because with the others at 2pm the parents are out at work and the kids are at school. Why don’t racists like blowjobs? They don’t like any jobs Why is a racist like a dog? Both mark their territory with shit Why is a racist like a Racing commentator? Both start shouting when a new race starts Have you heard the one about the racist who choked on yogurt? He found out there was a foreign culture in it

I saw this picture on the internet and it reminded me of a different kind of buffalo race.

Polanski's lawyers are still trying to have Roman released on bail. Instead of putting up his Swiss chalet as collateral, they propose cash. How much do you think it will be? I guess a million dollars. Here is the article. PARIS – A French lawyer for director Roman Polanski, imprisoned in Switzerland, says a new bail offer will be filed Monday and it will be a "very, very significant" cash amount. Swiss authorities rejected an offer Friday, considering the 76-year-old filmmaker awaiting a decision on extradition to the United States a high flight risk. They noted it was not a cash offer. Herve Temime told France-Info radio Sunday the latest offer is in cash. He wouldn't say how much. He said Polanski would accept the extradition decision "whatever it is" and assured his client would never behave "like a fugitive." Polanski, arrested Sept. 26, is wanted in the U.S. for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in Los Angeles in 1977. Polanski fled the U.S. before sentencing. http://news.yahoo.co...france_polanski

You have to love the people of Silverton, Oregon also. They love their transgender mayor in that they elected her to office, but not everyone loves the way she dresses. Hit the link and you will see the mayor sitting at her kitchen table. (NBC) - After hours of debate Monday night, the Silverton City Council has decided to censure its transgender mayor. Mayor Stu Rasmussen came under fire after he wore an open-back bathing suit, mini skirt and high heels when he went to speak before a group of local kids. A member of the non-profit organization that hosted Rasmussen was not happy with the attire and filed a complaint with the city. The complaint charged that Rasmussen's dress violated the city's dress code. The City Council found the public complaint to be founded and publicly reprimanded the mayor by censuring him. Resident Joe Craig said the mayor wore the attire to draw attention to himself and called Rasmussen's actions "shameful self promotion." Resident Ilene Conrad says it's much to do about nothing and said there wouldn't be any discussion about the dress if Rasmussen was a woman. By censuring the mayor, the city council got on the record as officially disapproving of his outfit. http://www.wsfa.com/....asp?S=10847060

Seems to me, there has been a lot of activity around Indonesia, like earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunami and now an asteroid explosion. Here is an article by Tom Chivers. On 8 October, the rock crashed into the atmosphere above South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The blast was heard by monitoring stations 10,000 miles away, according to a report by scientists at the University of Western Ontario. Scientists are concerned that it was not spotted by any telescopes, and that had it been larger it could have caused a disaster. The asteroid, estimated to have been around 10 metres (30ft) across, hit the atmosphere at an estimated 45,000mph. The sudden deceleration caused it to heat up rapidly and explode with the force of 50,000 tons of TNT. Luckily, due to the height of the explosion – estimated at between 15 and 20 km (nine to 12 miles) above sea level – no damage was caused on the ground. However, if the object had been slightly larger – 20 to 30 metres (60 to 90ft) across – it could easily have caused extensive damage and loss of life, say researchers. Very few objects smaller than 100 meters (300ft) across have been spotted and catalogued by astronomers. Tim Spahr, director of the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, warned that it was inevitable that minor asteroids would go unnoticed. He said: "If you want to find the smallest objects you have to build more, larger telescopes. "A survey that finds all of the 20-metre objects will cost probably multiple billions of dollars." The fireball was spotted by locals in Indonesia, and a YouTube video taken that day "appears to show a large dust cloud consistent with a bright, daylight fireball", according to the Ontario researchers. An asteroid or comet fragment around 60 meters across is believed to have been behind the Tunguska Event, a powerful explosion that took place over Russia in 1908. The blast has been estimated at equivalent to 10-15 million tons of TNT – enough to destroy a large city. The White House is to develop a policy on the space object impact threat by October next year. http://www.telegraph...s-defences.html

According to this quote, "No date has been set for the Playgirl photo shoot, but Butler expects the world will get a gander of the finished product by the end of the year." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33217038/ From what I was able to find, I think negotiations are still in process at to whether he will pose in his underwear or "all natural."

The chair was placed on ebay. The starting price was $500. Today the price is $40,000 with 27 hours left to bid. Here is the link if you would like to bid on a mortorized la-z-boy. http://offer.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=150384476487

I think this is tragic. People ought to be tested for free and they need to know how they stand. BRUSSELS (AFP) – Almost one in three people infected with the virus that causes AIDS do not know they have the disease, increasing the risk of infection, the European Commission warned Monday. In a document on combatting AIDS more than a quarter century after it surfaced, the EU's executive arm said now was not the time for Europe to drop its guard, noting that the figure was up to double in some neighbour nations. And while efficient treatments exist to slow the evolution of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), no vaccine or cure has been found. "We need to continue the political momentum in the fight against HIV/AIDS," EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said in a statement. "We need to encourage people to take responsibility for themselves and their partners by talking about and practicing safe sex and going for HIV testing," she said. According to commission figures, the number of people living with HIV or AIDS in the 27 EU countries and its neighbours rose from 1.5 million in 2001 to 2.2 million in 2007, around 730,000 of whom live in the bloc. Some 50,000 new cases of HIV were diagnosed in the EU and its neighbours in 2007. The percentage of adults, ranging in age from 15 to 49, infected with HIV vary widely, from less than 0.1 percent in some countries to more than 1.0 percent in others. France, Italy, Spain and Portugal have relatively high infection rates -- ranging from 0.4 percent to 0.5 percent -- but the number roughly triples in Estonia, which has a rate of 1.3 percent. In Russia, around 1.1 percent of the population is HIV positive, while the figure climbs to 1.6 percent in Ukraine. http://news.yahoo.co...uropehealthaids

Here is another story about an early death of a 36 year old that appears to be of natural causes. Bruce Springsteen canceled a performance in Kansas City after his cousin and road crew member died. The death of 36-year-old Lenny Sullivan was announced in a statement on Springsteen's Web site. Sullivan was found dead at Kansas City's Intercontinental Hotel hours before Springsteen and the E Street Band were to take the stage Monday night. Kansas City police spokesman Capt. Rich Lockhart said officers were investigating the death, although he said it was not suspicious. A call to Springsteen's publicist was not immediately returned. http://new.music.yah...death--61995618

I have no idea but I feel this is a step in the right direction.